Notes / Commercial Description:
Fortified with sixty pounds of local wildflower honey from our neighbors at S&S Apiaries in Dover, this Brewpub Exclusive is a super-hopped IPA fermented with French Saison yeast. The name is a nod to the enthusiastic and passionate spirit of the team of our wholesale/distributor partners who helped brew this beer (from DE, DC, GA, NJ, CT, MA, NC & more!) and also to the Ardennes region of Belgium with their creative brewing philosophy.

There are over 1.5 pounds of American hops in each barrel including Simcoe, Chinook, Nugget, and Centennial, with half added as dry hops at the end of fermentation. The enormous hop additionscontribute piney, grapefruity, and resinous aromas and flavors that compliment the spicy tropical fruit notes from the yeast. Crystal and Munich malts build a backbone that stands up to the intense hoppiness and give the brew a golden brown hue.

User Reviews

I had this on tap over the weekend at the Brewings and Eatings in Rehoboth Beach.

Pours a cloudy orange copper color. Color is nice. Clarity, which this beer lacks, is good for most IPAs, but I suppose a heavily dry-hopped version with a Saison yeast can look like this and not get a heavy downgrade. Small stand of white foam tops the beer which I suspect is more an issue with the pourer than the actual beer, as every beer ordered on tap here comes with little head.

The smell is quite outstanding actually. Big juicy grapefruit and general citrus notes come through in a way that most other DFH IPAs lack. Other yeast driven phenolics mingle well with the incredible hop bouquet. I get some black pepper and subdued clove coming through. Some sweetness from the malt backbone is present.

The taste is as expected with big citrusy hop flavors against an atypical DFH malt backbone. 60 and 90 min, to me, seem very toasty, like there is a good portion of Vienna malt or something similar in there. With this one, I get a touch of light caramel for sweetness, and some bready malt notes. But, really, it is the hops that come up big here. Centennial seems to dominate. Spiciness from the yeast strain contributes to a refreshing and dry finish that really does make me want to continue drinking the beer.

Good medium carbonation and spicy dry finish create an overall good mouthfeel. Ardent IPA could possibly use a fuller body as it seemed a touch thin.

Overall, I thought this was a great beer that I would buy in quantity if it became a regular of theirs.